@DATABASE TAPS.guide @NODE "MAIN" "VR T.A.P.S. - Version 1.2" @NEXT "Introduction" VR T.A.P.S. - Version 1.2 @{" Introduction " link "Introduction"} @{" Requirements " link "Requirements"} @{" Instructions " link "Instructions"} @{" Credits " link "Credits"} @{" Updates " link "Update"} What's NEW in v1.2! @{" Copyright " link "Copyright"} @{" Technogibber " link "Tech"} @{" File Security " link "File Security"} @{"Contact Author" link "Contact"} Visionary Revelations and VR T.A.P.S. are Trademarks and Copyright 1997 James Kaylor (all other Trademarks belong to their respective owners) - You use this program at you own risk. - - I don't take any responsibility for any loss or damages - - that might be caused by the use/misuse of this program. - @{"See Liability" link "law"} @ENDNODE @NODE "Introduction" "Intro - VR T.A.P.S. V1.2 @NEXT "Requirements" @PREVIOUS "MAIN" VR T.A.P.S. - Version 1.2 Introduction Visionary Revelations(tm) presents The Amos Protection System Finally, you don't have to save all your AMOS banks within your programs for protection from hackers. Now you can protect your data from file spies, load it into your AMOS programs and quickly uncode it with your own secret password! - Fair warning: You use this program at your OWN risk. - - I cannot, and do not take any responsibility in any - - loss or damages that may result from the use/misuse - - of these programs. - @{"What do I need?" link "Requirements"} @{"How do I do it?" link "Instructions"} @ENDNODE @NODE "Requirements" "Required gee-gaws" @PREVIOUS "Introduction" @NEXT "Instructions" VR T.A.P.S. - Version 1.2 Requirements - An Amiga computer (This is a MUST!!) - A hard drive or a floppy disk (to store this program on) - AMOS V1.2 or higher (If you encrypt AMOS files) - AMOS Library in LIBS drawer (Provided in this archive!) To install: Copy AMOS.library and Powerpacker.library to LIBS: Put everything else wherever you'd like. This program should work with any system configuration. If you have @{" problems " link prob} see the problems section or @{" contact " link "contact"} me as soon as possible. @{" Main Menu " link "MAIN"} @ENDNODE @NODE "Instructions" "Instructions" @PREVIOUS "Requirements" @NEXT "Using uncode" VR T.A.P.S. - Version 1.2 Instructions TAPS is made to be very easy to use and now it's even better with v1.2 it features a new GUI! Just run the program, click on the 'Load' button, choose a 'Load' file. Click on 'Save' and choose the 'Save' file. (e.g. Filename.abk to be saved as Filename.coded) Now you need to enter a password, enter any 11 digit numeric code, click on 'Encrypt' and your file will be coded in seconds! To uncode a file just click 'Unencrypt' and choose your load/save file names. Now when the file was coded, the program automatically made a password file for your records (Keep it somewhere safe.) and will grab the password from the file if it's in the directory with the file you want to uncode, otherwise you'll have to enter the password for the file yourself. That mysterious 'Compare Files' in the main menu will allow you to test your original file against an UNcoded file to see if everything went smoothly. You probably won't need to test any files but I included it just for the sake of research. You can for instance, code a file, then uncode it with a slightly different password and test it to see how much encryption still remains! (I've tested files that were uncoded with the original password except I changed the last digit, try it yourself and see if you can run the file when your done. I couldn't!) And the 'Quit' menu item, well I think you can use this to stop using the program, but I'll have to run some tests! `B) Like I said before your file is (un)coded in seconds so you shouldn't have big delays in your programs! @{"How do I uncode from my own programs?" link "using uncode"} @{"Learn more about file security" link "file security"} @{" MAIN MENU " link "MAIN"} @ENDNODE @NODE "Using uncode" "Using uncode procedure in your AMOS programs" VR T.A.P.S. - Version 1.2 Using the uncode procedure Using the 'uncode' procedure in your own programs is easy too! Just load the "uncode_proc.amos" program into AMOS and cut it with 'cut block', then paste it at the end of the AMOS program listing you want to use it in. The format is: uncode[filename$,bank number,password$] An example for loading a coded Sprite/BOB bank: uncode["RAM:Coded_Bob.file",1,"1234567890"] | | | / | | The name of your coded file (string)/ | | / | The bank you want it to be placed in(#)/ | | | Your secret password (in string form)/ @{"Special features" link features} @{" Main Menu " link MAIN} @ENDNODE @NODE "Credits" "Thanks to..." VR T.A.P.S. - Version 1.2 Credits Thanks to: Francios Lionet - creator of AMOS! - This is a fine program you've got here! The men & women that created the AMIGA!!! - I'd say Commodore, but you did all the work, so thanks!! Digital Creations - makers of DCTV - I used this to digitize an animation for my VR logo! (Not shown here, but you can see it in Iceburg_DEMO1.lha my, as yet, unfinished game. (demo version!) @{" Main Menu " link "MAIN"} @ENDNODE @NODE "prob" "Problems, problems...everybody's got problems" VR TAPS - Version 0.0 A wise Vietnamese man once said, "Problems, problems, problems everybody's got problems." (I hope I got the right number of "problems" in that!) This program should not have any problems, but if it does please send them in to me so I can fix them on update. TIP: Make backups of any files you are going to code, that way if you make a mistake you can start again with these! In case you can't get help from me right away try some of the following: PROBLEM HELP ------------------------------------------------------------- Coded file won't uncode right Maybe you're trying to when I use the right password. UNcode an UNcoded file. Or you may have coded your CODED file twice, thus destroying it! Use the TEST feature to try the original against the coded file. AMOS won't load my file. Is it a coded file? Some UNcoded files won't load directly into an AMOS bank. AMOS won't load my UNcoded file. Try testing it against the original file, you may need to recode the original file or the file may not be an AMOS bank file. The uncode procedure doesn't Did you tell the proc seem to work. what bank to place the file in? Got the right filename? The right bank # ? BOBs can't be used from any other bank than #1, Music #3, etc. If you have everything right and you think it must be my fault, then send me all the details. Show of hands, anyone that saw the mistake at the top of this screen? @{"Contact me at..." link "contact"} @{" Main Menu " link "MAIN"} @ENDNODE @NODE "Tech" VR T.A.P.S. - Version 1.2 Technogibber WHY DID I MAKE THIS PROGRAM in the first place? Well, I have been somewhat concerned about releasing any AMOS programs that needed to load in external files because it's quite easy to take one's Sprite/BOB bank and load it into AMOS and take a look at the sprites, alter them, or even steal them. I was quite shocked to think that the graphics, sound, music... etc. that I had worked so hard on could end up in someone's rave demo and I couldn't at least slow them down! (I've seen pictures in magazines where Robocod and Lemmings that have been ripped from their games are used in demos!) I HAVE SEARCHED, AND HOPED FOR A PROGRAM that would do some sort of encryption for my AMOS files, but I couldn't find such a program. With me not knowing how to do much in the way of binary hacking, I gave up ever having any protection for my files that way and started trying to keep them all within my programs, but as you probably know, it's almost impossible! WORKING ON SOME WAYS TO CODE text files so they couldn't be read got me closer to realizing this program, I didn't think I could do it! BUT HERE IT IS!! @{"Oh, stop gibbering..." link MAIN} @ENDNODE @NODE "Copyright" "Don't step on my blue suede shoes" @PREVIOUS "Credits" VR T.A.P.S. - Version 1.2 Copyright Notice The contents, graphics, and concept of this program is protected under copyright laws and is not intended for any other uses than those stated in this document. You MAY distribute this program as long as ALL files are INTACT and UNALTERED, and there is no charge for obtaining them other than a reasonable price for the disk(s) they comes on. You are permitted and encouraged to distribute this on BBS and internet. VR T.A.P.S. is a Trade Mark and is Copyright 1997 James Kaylor (other Trade Marks belong to their respective owners) @{" Main Menu " link "MAIN"} @endnode @NODE "Contact" "Houston...we have contact!" VR T.A.P.S. - Version 1.2 Contact the author via the Internet: E-MAIL: jdk0vr97@imsweb.net Visit the Visionary Revelations(tm) web site! WWW: http://home.imsweb.net/~jdk0vr97/vr_page.html @{" Back home... " link "MAIN"} @ENDNODE @NODE "Update" "Update news..." VR T.A.P.S. - Version 1.2 Updates From unreleased version 0.5: "Yes, there should be at least one update, I would like to include a loading procedure for you to use in your own programs to load coded text files. The uncode procedure V0.5 will only load AMOS BANK files. Also, when a sprite/BOB file is coded it is turned into binary and can be loaded into AMOS as FAST RAM data instead of CHIP RAM unlike a TRUE BOB bank. So I'm working on a new version of the uncode_proc that will allow you to implement this feature in your own programs, imagine loading hundreds(+) BOBs into memory and not even using one byte of CHIP RAM until you uncode them into the BOB bank. Check for yourself how much CHIP RAM is used by BOBs type the following into AMOS: Print Chip Free Load "Your BOB BANK with 100+ bobs" Print Chip Free See how it eats away at it!" V1.0: As you have read I was able to do all those things so I can't think of anything I need to add right now. V1.1: Thought of something! Now you can load coded ILBM picture files directly to the screen. To use: Where BANK # used to mean the bank to uncode to, now it is the screen to load the picture into. (e.g. UNCODE["DH1:Coded.pic",0,"1234...") This loads Coded.pic into screen 0! V1.2: Well, I seem to have made some slight mistakes on the AmigaGuide code for this document on V1.1 so I've fixed them now. Also, many of you might have had "File Format Not Recognized" errors when using 1.1's procedures, a dumb mistake on my part kept AMOS guessing. I've fixed it! (I wondered why I didn't get any E-MAIL, you probably said, "This doesn't work.", and promptly deleted the whole thing!) V1.2 features a new GUI and faster ILBM encryption and has better coding for all other file types as well, this unfortunately doesn't allow for backwards compatibility. SO DON'T GET RID OF V1.1 if you have it, until you uncode any encrypted files!!! VERSION 1.2 IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH V1.1 OR LOWER!!! If you have some ideas for updates, please send them to me. @{"I have an idea! How do I send it in?" link "contact"} @{"I'll just mosey on back to the menu..." link "MAIN"} @ENDNODE @NODE "features" "Revelations..." VR T.A.P.S. - Version 1.2 Special Features! Some great features that are included in this system are: * Special encryption for text files! - Need a lot of external text for your adventure games? TAPS will load any ASCII file and use 'TEXT' encryption so players won't be able to peek at the answers to your game! * 'NO-CHIP' Sprite/BOB loading! - Tired of running out of CHIP RAM when you load in several hundred BOBs? Now you can load encrypted BOB banks into FAST RAM and uncode them when you need them! * All format encryption! - It doesn't matter what kind of file you want to code, TAPS will do it and offers two levels of encryption! So you can code all of your regular files, and not just for AMOS! * -NEW- for 1.1 Direct coded ILBM loading! - See @{"Updates" link update} - TEXT ENCRYPTION - When ever you load a file into TAPS a check is run to find out if it is an AMOS BANK file or not, if it isn't, TAPS will ask whether you'd like to use 'TEXT' coding. 'TEXT' coding is a higher level of encryption that will try to make your files totally unreadable. This option takes a little longer than the normal coding so it's not recommended for use on your AMOS BANK files. (I think you'd rather have fast uncoding for your BOBS, music, sound, etc., so I reserved this for text.) - 'NO-CHIP' BOB/SPRITE LOADING - I didn't think this could be done, but ANIMs must load into FAST RAM or we'd all run out of CHIP RAM when we wanted to play an animation! All you need to do is code a BOB bank in the normal way, then put the "UNCODE_BANK" and "LOAD_FILE" procedures in your AMOS program and follow the example below. (Please note: TAPS uses bank 10 for uncoding so don't use it.) Load BOB bank into FAST RAM: LOAD_FILE["Your file",any Bank #(not bank 10)] (e.g. LOAD_FILE["DF0:Coded_BOBS",11]) Now your BOBs are in FAST RAM (bank 11), to unpack them: UNCODE[From bank#,To bank#, Password$] (e.g. UNCODE[11,1,"12345..."]) Any type of coded AMOS file can be loaded this way, even text files. - ALL FORMAT FILES - TAPS codes most anything! You can choose to have fast uncoding encryption used on your files, or the not-so-fast 'TEXT' encry- ption for more protection. Code anything from MODs to LHA arc- hives. @{"Back to the menu >" link "MAIN"} @ENDNODE @NODE "File Security" "Secure the hatch, Sulu." Ok, so you've got your files encrypted and ready to use in your latest mega-creation, but before you go... I was reading the docs to an AMOS extension the other day, and the author was talking about file encryption and how hackers can single-step through your main AMOS program and find your password. This is very true! Your password IS right out in the open in the midst of the uncode procedure's brackets! UNCODE["BOBS.FILE",1,"HERE IT IS. TAKE IT!"] Even in compiled form it may be visable! So what should we do!? You could chose to have your program PowerPacked when you compile it. OR Put the UNCODE command inside a procedure: Procedure UNCODE_MY_FILES UNCODE["BOBS.FILE",1,"YourPasword"] End Proc Then run the FOLD.acc file that came with AMOS to lock the procedure, you can't see inside a locked procedure when it has been compiled. (Unless you have MANY free hours to spend hacking away for nothing but someone's sprite file!) Well, I'm thinking of some other ways. If I come up with a good one you can find it on the Visionary Revelations web page or wait for me to upload add-on files to AmiNET! @{"WWW Address" link "Contact"} @{" MAIN MENU " link "MAIN"} @ENDNODE @NODE "Law" "Limitation of liability:" DISCLAIMER: This software is licensed on an "as is" basis. The author makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, regarding this product, its performance, and use for any particular purpose. The entire risk as to the results and performance of these programs is assumed by you. The author does not guarantee this program and takes no responsibility for any loss or damages that may result from it's use. @{" Main Menu " link "MAIN"} @ENDNODE